A mysterious method suggested by a third party appears to have allowed the FBI to hack into the iPhone belonging to Syed Rizwan Farook, one of the attackers in last year’s shooting in San Bernardino, Calif., prompting the agency to withdraw its legal case against Apple.

The Justice Department asked a federal judge in California court to vacate its petition to force Apple to help it hack the phone. “The government has now successfully accessed the data stored on Farook’s iPhone and therefore no longer requires the assistance from Apple Inc. mandated by Court’s Order,” the filing reads.

The filing doesn’t elaborate on the method used, nor does it hint at any of the information revealed. What it means is that the FBI has achieved a method to access the data stored on the phone, circumventing its security features. The FBI is still reviewing the information retrieved from the phone, and law enforcement officials declined to describe what kind of information they found and whether or not it was useful to the investigation into the shooting that killed 22 people on Dec. 2.

The government delayed its case last week after an unidentified third party came forward and suggested a method to access the data locked up on the phone.

A law enforcement official in a background briefing with reporters declined to elaborate on the identity of the third party, beyond saying that the party is not another U.S. government agency.

The official declined to speculate whether the method will be used on other phones in other investigations, or if the method will be shared with law enforcement agencies at the state and local level, or if information about it will be shared with Apple.

“Right now we’re focused on the San Bernardino case. We can can’t comment on the possibility of future disclosures,” the official said.

It’s also not clear, the official said, that the method works generally on all iPhones. “Right now we know it works on the iPhone 5c that belonged to Farook, which was running a version of iOS 9,” the official said. “We’re not prepared to say anything more than that.”

The Justice Department had created a significant controversy in seeking to force Apple to help it access the data on the phone by invoking the All Writs Act, a law dating to 1789. Apple fought the order, arguing that creating software to help the government would compromise the privacy of Apple iPhone users around the world and set a bad precedent with governments in other countries that would seek the same level of assistance.

In a statement issued after the filing Monday, Justice Department spokeswoman Melanie Newman made it clear that while this action was now moot, there may well be similar conflicts down the road. “It remains a priority for the government to ensure that law enforcement can obtain crucial digital information to protect national security and public safety, either with cooperation from relevant parties, or through the court system when cooperation fails,” she said. “We will continue to pursue all available options for this mission, including seeking the cooperation of manufacturers and relying upon the creativity of both the public and private sectors.”

U.S. Attorney Eileen M. Decker said, “Although this step in the investigation is now complete, we will continue to explore every lead, and seek any appropriate legal process, to ensure our investigation collects all of the evidence related to this terrorist attack.”

Apple, via a statement issued late Monday, said the case “never should have been brought.”

“From the beginning, we objected to the FBI’s demand that Apple build a back door into the iPhone because we believed it was wrong and would set a dangerous precedent. As a result of the government’s dismissal, neither of these occurred,” the statement reads.

Apple went on to say that it will help law enforcement agencies with their investigations to the extent that it can, but will also continue to ratchet up its security measures. “We will continue to help law enforcement with their investigations, as we have done all along, and we will continue to increase the security of our products as the threats and attacks on our data become more frequent and more sophisticated.

“Apple believes deeply that people in the United States and around the world deserve data protection, security and privacy,” the statement went on. “Sacrificing one for the other only puts people and countries at greater risk. This case raised issues which deserve a national conversation about our civil liberties, and our collective security and privacy. Apple remains committed to participating in that discussion.”

Sprout is HP’s attempt at a new take on the desktop computer, one that doesn’t have a mouse and keyboard and instead tries to blend its digital world with what’s on your desk.

The HP Sprout is fitted with a Intel Core i7-4790S processor supported by a NVIDIA GeForce GTX 745A graphics card with dedicated 2GB DDR3 and 8 GB DDR3L. The all-in-one computer, first introduced last year, has a scanner and projector jutting out on top that beams a second screen in front of it, which could show an additional desktop, a specific app, or a virtual keyboard.

The Sprout 3D scanner comes pre-loaded with Microsoft’s Windows 8.1 operating system and include a large 1 TB 5400 rpm SATA SSHD for string scanned images and creating renderings. This solution consists of Sprout with its Intel Real Sense 3D cameras, the proprietary HP 3D Capture Stage and unique 3D capture software. “Sprout, HP’s onramp to its Blended Reality strategy, is the first step on our mission to deliver truly immersive experiences,” said Eric Monsef, Highly Immersive Systems, HP. “The innovative 3D Capture solution uniquely allows users to easily capture an object in 3D that can then be further modified, shared, and printed.” Scanning Accessory and Software The 3D Capture Stage accessory is a turntable that serves as a platform for the objects being scanned.

At launch, the Sprout could only scan objects from a single side, but HP said today that it’ll release a free software update in July enabling full 3D scanning. Now, you can easily create whatever you imagine ‘with your hands’ using Sprout’s revolutionary, immersive, multi-touch technology and Sprout Workspace, the app for capturing, creating, and sharing your ideas. With just a few button taps, the new 3D Capture application works with Sprout’s technology to create a full 3D digital model that can be manipulated. 3D Capture is being introduced as a free upgrade to the current 3D Snapshot software, which captures one side of the object. The next automated update of the Sprout software will include a free version of the 3D scanning application that takes full advantage of the Sprout hardware. Until now, the physical and digital worlds have largely been separated and digital creation has remained in 2D; this new scanning application allows capture of objects in full 3D.

HP imagines that both hobbyists and professional engineers could use it to work, allowing them to continually redesign and tweak parts by hand — both physically and digitally — throughout their process. Sharing and Printing Sprout users can share 3D objects with a feature that lets others view and manipulate them in an online 3D viewer where they can rotate or resize an object to see multiple perspectives. HP Blended Reality Ecosystem Sprout is a first-of-its-kind Immersive Computing platform that redefines the user experience and creates a foundation for future immersive technologies.

That also points out the limitations to HP’s approach: fancy rigs may be needed for quality 3D scanning today, but it’s already looking like future smartphones will be able to take their place, at least for hobbyists. It’s not clear how many people have decided that it’s right for them — HP declined to share sales figures — but it’s a compelling look at how easy it’s becoming for the average person to start working with 3D models. With the broadest technology portfolio spanning printing, personal systems, software, services and IT infrastructure, HP delivers solutions for customers’ most complex challenges in every region of the world. If such risks or uncertainties materialize or such assumptions prove incorrect, the results of HP and its consolidated subsidiaries could differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements and assumptions.

All statements other than statements of historical fact are statements that could be deemed forward-looking statements, including but not limited to statements of the plans, strategies and objectives of HP for future operations, including the separation transaction; the future performance if Hewlett-Packard Enterprise and HP Inc. if the separation is completed; any statements concerning expected development, performance, market share or competitive performance relating to products and services; any statements regarding anticipated operational and financial results; any statements of expectation or belief; and any statements of assumptions underlying any of the foregoing.

Technology has done a lot to make our lives easier and more efficient. Yet as a parent, you ought to be concerned about the impact that devices such as smartphones can have on your child.

At a time when it is becoming commonplace for kids to have their own mobile device, shouldn’t you be worried about what negative impact a smartphone could have on your child’s growth?

1.They alter the parent-child relationship

Even while smartphones can be convenient, they alter the bonding that is supposed to exist between a parent and child. The connectivity attached with smartphone use cannot be the same as the genuine connection which the parent and child are meant to have. Children are still passing through a period of growth, and you need to establish your relationship with them. With smartphones, you have speed and instant answers available; yet this could lead to your kids making bad choices in the long run.

2. It limits their creative minds

With easy access through a smartphone to a majority of their play, kids now have a platform to be bombarded with various exciting games. These games limit their creativity and imaginations and slow their motor and optical sensory development.

3. It causes them to get less sleep

According to this study, a smartphone in the bedroom can bring about significantly less sleep, later bedtimes, and more fatigue. Your child needs to be getting plenty of sleep and have his brain rested for the next day’s activities. A smartphone certainly wouldn’t help him attain that.

4. It doesn’t give kids the time to reflect or learn about the consequences of their actions

Imagine a kid having a conversation on a chat site and things go wrong. “I wish you lose your life” is uttered at him. Even perfectly nice kids would spontaneously react by saying, “I wish you lose your life too.’” This happens because the child is not offered the opportunity to reflect on the impact and the negativity of their actions or what they say. With a smartphone, things happen fast.

5. It impedes their ability to learn

According to researchers, a smartphone is detrimental to a child’s social-economic development as it diverts a child’s attention. According to the findings, the use of interactive screen time on such devices could also impair a child’s development of the skills needed for math and science.

6. It causes an addiction

It jeopardizes the child’s overall development. By engaging them in so many activities, a smartphone could become a source for an addiction. This kind of addiction engages their minds and captivates them for a long time, even to adulthood.

7. It has a negative impact on your child’s mental health

According to experts, amongst the causes of depression and anorexia in kids is the use of the smartphone and connection to the internet. Since through it kids are bullied and often unsupervised, there is a negative impact on their mental health.

8. It indirectly causes obesity

Too much time spent on smartphones also affects the physical health of your kids. With a smartphone, your child is subjected to remaining at a particular spot for hours. Such technology overuse is now a factor causing obesity.

9. It causes behavioral problems

Spending more than two hours per day on a smartphone is enough to cause emotional and social problems. Accordingly, exposure to the games available on smartphone apps links children to an increased risk of attention problems.

10. It desensitizes children to violence

Through the smartphone, kids are exposed to violence in games and through cyberbullying on chat sites. This desensitizes children and prompts them to accept that violent behavior is simply a normal way to solve problems.

There will be nearly 1.37 billion 4G LTE subscribers around the world by year-end, up from nearly 650 million in 2014, according to market research company ABI Research. LTE’s growing popularity is helped by a number of things: mobile operators including the technology in more of their plans, cheaper LTE smartphones and aggressive network expansions in countries like China.

LTE is being rapidly embraced in North America, Japan and South Korea where it’ll be included in a majority of subscriptions this year, according to telecommunications equipment maker Ericsson, which last week published a report on its expectations for future mobile growth.

In countries where LTE adoption is high, network operators are looking for new ways to keep their networks from buckling under the growing weight of traffic, especially video, buoyed by the growing popularity of smartphones with big screens.

Operators will rely on small cells to keep data rates up in places where networks are congested. For example, Verizon Wireless is partnering with Ericsson to deploy small cells, with nearly US$500 million allocated, according to ABI. As the name hints, small cells are tiny versions of traditional base stations, and only cover a limited area.

The concept isn’t new, having been used to upgrade networks built on previous technologies, but its deployment in LTE networks has been hampered by operators struggling with where to install small cells, how to manage them and how to integrate the equipment with the rest of their networks. Ericsson is far from the only company that’s been working to sort out these issues. On Tuesday, Alcatel-Lucent announced an expansion of its Site Certification Program, which helps operators find places where small cells can be installed.

The popularity of LTE will continue to grow over the next 5 years at an average rate of about 20 percent, exceeding 3.5 billion by 2020, according to ABI Research. Ericsson is a bit more optimistic in its predictions about LTE’s future growth, saying that there will be 3.7 billion subscriptions by 2020 in a report published last week.

By 2020, LTE will totally dominate in the U.S. and Western Europe. Globally, 3G networks will with around 3.8 billion subscriptions still be more more popular, Ericsson said. The year 2020 will also be significant for another reason; the first 5G networks are expected to go live in countries such as Japan and South Korea.